Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 127

Qin Mo glanced at Lu Tang. She couldn’t hide her emotions; whatever she thought was clearly written on her face.

With a slight movement of his finger, Qin Mo gently brushed her cheek. “Jiang Yi wasn’t poisoned mute by Jiang Huaiyu.”

Lu Tang was stunned.

Perhaps due to the somber mood, she didn’t even notice Qin Mo’s light touch on her cheek and simply asked, “Then who did it?”

Qin Mo looked at Xie Chengnian.

Tears streamed down Xie Chengnian’s aged face. “It was her herself.”

Lu Tang was deeply shocked.

Xie Chengnian continued, “Jiang Huaiyu was willing to publicly credit the blueprint to Jiang Yi, but there was one condition: the name of Jiang Huaiyu’s legitimate son had to be included.”

Song Qingzhan promptly explained to Lu Tang, “Although Jiang Yi was also a legitimate daughter, she and Jiang Huaiyu’s legitimate son had different mothers. After Jiang Yi’s mother passed away, Jiang Huaiyu elevated a concubine to the position of the principal wife. This legitimate son was born from that concubine.”

With just a few words from Song Qingzhan, Lu Tang already pictured a large, intense family drama in her mind.

But why?

Why would she poison herself?

Xie Chengnian did not continue about Jiang Yi. He paused to calm his emotions before speaking again, but his topic had changed.

“After the Xiyang Dam incident, Jiang Huaiyu repeatedly made mistakes in the Ministry of Works, angering the late Emperor, who demoted him. The position of Minister of Works became vacant. At that time, I used Jiang Yi’s blueprint to complete the Xiyang Dam, gaining much attention, and the late Emperor promoted me. At that moment, I thought that once I secured my position as Minister of Works, even if I couldn’t make Jiang Yi’s talent known this time, there would surely be another chance. Soon, an opportunity arose. The late Emperor ordered the construction of the Liyang Dam. I spent several months of effort completing the initial draft of the blueprint. During that time, Huang Bangyuan was a Vice Minister in the Ministry of Works. He assisted me throughout.”

When mentioning Huang Bangyuan, Xie Chengnian’s eyes filled with hatred.

“Until the blueprint was finalized, when I submitted it for the Emperor’s review, Huang Bangyuan approached me, demanding that I credit him as the original creator of the blueprint. If I refused, he threatened to expose that I had plagiarized the Xiyang Dam blueprint.”

Lu Tang’s heart instantly tightened.

“The Xiyang Dam blueprint was Jiang Yi’s work. If Huang Bangyuan exposed it and made Jiang Yi’s talent known, I would be glad, as she truly had talent. Despite being a woman, her talent shouldn’t be dismissed. But Huang Bangyuan conspired with Jiang Yi’s half-brother, who shamelessly claimed Jiang Yi’s hard work as his own and accused me of plagiarism. Jiang Yi loved waterworks passionately. Before the construction of the Liyang Dam, Huang Bangyuan revealed much information about the project to Jiang Yi, subtly guiding her to draw a blueprint almost identical to mine. And this blueprint was again claimed by her brother. Huang Bangyuan used these two blueprints to threaten me. If I didn’t cooperate, not only would I be disgraced, but Jiang Yi would also be implicated.”

Recounting old events, Xie Chengnian was so emotional he could barely breathe.

“I didn’t fear disgrace, but Jiang Yi? As a woman, her life was already tough enough. If her brother falsely accused her…”

Lu Tang murmured, “So you resigned?”

Xie Yu, probably hearing this for the first time from his grandfather, remained silent throughout.

Xie Chengnian nodded. “I thought that if I left the Ministry of Works, left the court, and left the capital, this matter would end.”

Xie Chengnian let out a long sigh. “After leaving, I lived peacefully for a while until Yu’er was born.”

When Xie Yu was two years old, Huang Bangyuan returned, demanding that Xie Chengnian draw another blueprint for him. Lu Tang already knew about this.

Xie Chengnian’s face was extremely grim.

“It was only when Huang Bangyuan came again that I discovered my useless son had given all my private manuscripts to Huang Bangyuan after I left the capital.”

Xie Yu was dumbfounded. “My father?”

Xie Chengnian ignored him.

“I previously said that Yu’er’s poisoning was Huang Bangyuan’s doing.”

Xie Chengnian’s breathing became unstable, pausing momentarily, causing Lu Tang’s heart to tighten.

Wasn’t it Huang Bangyuan?

Could it be?

A terrible suspicion arose in Lu Tang’s mind, making her shudder.

Qin Mo’s warm hand grasped hers on the table, his thumb lightly rubbing the back of her hand.

Song Qingzhan, glancing over unintentionally, was so shocked he almost dropped his tea cup.

What?

What was this?

Holding hands?

What were they doing?

“At that time, Huang Bangyuan told me that if I didn’t complete the blueprint for him, he could manipulate the drawings my son had given him, making the palace buildings dangerous. Our entire family would pay with our lives. He threatened me, and my useless son begged me. When I refused, they worked together to poison Yu’er.”

Xie Yu stood up abruptly, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t utter a word.

Lu Tang looked at him with pity.

Previously, when Xie Chengnian mentioned this, she had wondered why Huang Bangyuan would poison a two-year-old child.

It would have been easier to poison an adult. A two-year-old rarely left the house, requiring someone to infiltrate the home to poison him.

Adults, on the other hand, could be poisoned while eating or drinking outside.

And now, it turned out to be like this.

“Yu’er’s poison, Huang Bangyuan provided the antidote,” Xie Chengnian couldn’t control his tears, curling up in pain, clutching his head. “But fearing he was also poisoned, Yu’er’s father secretly took more than half of the antidote.”

Lu Tang laughed in anger.

Poisoning his own son and then, suspecting he was poisoned too, taking his son’s antidote for himself?

Is this even human behavior?

Xie Yu couldn’t handle the truth and collapsed into his chair.

“Later, I asked Huang Bangyuan for the antidote, but it was too late.”

Mentioning Huang Bangyuan, Xie Chengnian’s hatred was palpable.

But mixed with this hatred was so much more.

Had it not been for Xie Yu’s father’s interference, things would never have reached this point.

Qin Mo listened silently and only asked, “Why did you hide?”

Xie Chengnian’s body stiffened for a moment. Though brief, Lu Tang and Qin Mo both noticed it. They exchanged a glance, confirming each other’s suspicion.

Xie Chengnian was still holding back something.

Based on her guess, Lu Tang hesitated and then softly asked, “Xie Yu isn’t your biological grandson, is he?”

Xie Yu, already feeling overwhelmed, was struck again.

Could the knife cut deeper?